Behind Curtain #2

An Interior Designer who doesn't like curtains I'm sure sounds like a mechanic who refuses to work with tools, but it happens! While I can appreciate their beauty in certain settings, for the most part window coverings make me feel like I'm walking into a funeral parlor; heavy, constricting, dark and depressing...the opposite emotions I try to evoke when designing a space. Practicality often trumps my aesthetics, however. For example, on occasion I enjoy sleeping in. While the windows in our bedroom act as dramatic frames for the natural beauty outdoors, I curse the sun when it shines in my face before I'm ready for my morning close-up. Now, when the sun doesn't shine, especially during the winter months in the northeast, I also question my love for the coffin liners. When we woke up this morning the temperature on our LL Bean digital thermometer read 16 degrees (great gift idea, by the way!!). Touching the window felt like sticking my hand in an icebox, so I decided to bite my design pride and purchased curtains at Ikea (I know, I know..any REAL designer probably wouldn't shop for curtains at Ikea, but I'm planning on this being a short lived love-affair!). Curtains, especially lined, serve as excellent insulators for windows and doors in the cold winter months. Once again the Swedes pulled through in a pinch, as I snatched these up for $19.99/pair AND they come ready to cut to size any window. The process is as easy as cutting, folding and ironing, unless you want the drama of longer curtains that pillow on the floor. Because we have a shedding dog, I don't need anything else lingering on our floors. So, I measured the length I wanted, cut and folded the excess over. Ikea provides a strip that when placed under the fold and ironed over, creates a secure seam that won't come undone until you're ready. While I can be a cold, hard bitch when it comes to my opinion of curtains, I'll be a warm one this winter thanks to an easy, inexpensive little trick!
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Thirty minutes to cut, iron and hang four windows worth of curtains
COST: $19.99 for two curtains. Digital thermometers available at Home Depot, Lowes, Target, LL BEAN, start at $12.99
STRESS LEVEL: Warming up on a chilly night: LOW